Traditional power electronic control systems using switch-mode principles are typically structured to accommodate the needs of an overall system that include a power circuit (actuator), a power load (plant), and a controller that controls the operation of the power circuit. Many of the overall system elements are non-linear, and possess numerous energy storage elements. Conventional simulation software allows designers to simulate the operation of the overall system so that a particular control system can be verified for proper function prior to construction. However, commercially available simulation software does not take into account all real life effects (e.g. switching delays, and/or interlock delays). Ignoring these effects can substantially affect simulation results.
Further, controllers that are verified using such software cannot be easily modified to take proper account of real life effects. For this reason, standardization of power electronic designs has been difficult to achieve. Systems controller design has evolved to include pre-design capture and simulation which validates the quality of the design before it is built. However, post production revisions to a controller designed using these kinds of pre-design simulation techniques, is generally costly, time consuming and unmanageable, leading to early design obsolescence.